Goddess of the River

by Vaishnavi Patel

A powerful reimagining of the story of Ganga, goddess of the river, and her doomed mortal son, from Vaishnavi Patel, author of the instant New York Times bestseller Kaikeyi .

A mother and a son. A goddess and a prince. A curse and an oath. A river whose course will change the fate of the world.

Ganga, joyful goddess of the river, serves as caretaker to the mischievous godlings who roam her banks. But when their antics incur the wrath of a powerful sage, Ganga is cursed to become mortal, bound to her human form until she fulfills the obligations of the curse.

Though she knows nothing of mortal life, Ganga weds King Shantanu and becomes a queen, determined to regain her freedom no matter the cost. But in a cruel turn of fate, just as she is freed of her binding, she is forced to leave her infant son behind.

Her son, prince Devavrata, unwittingly carries the legacy of Ganga’s curse. And when he makes an oath that he will never claim his father’s throne, he sets in motion a chain of events that will end in a terrible and tragic war.

As the years unfold, Ganga and Devavrata are drawn together again and again, each confluence another step on a path that has been written in the stars, in this deeply moving and masterful tale of duty, destiny, and the unwavering bond between mother and son.

Genres: Fantasy, Mythology, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Retellings, Adult, Historical

496 pages, Paperback

First published May 21, 2024

Reviews

[Vaishnavi Patel]

Family tree for ARC readers

I am so excited to share with you my second book, Goddess of the River! It is a retelling of the ancient Hindu epic and religious text the Mahabharata from the perspective of Ganga, a river goddess, and her son. You will find many changes from the Mahabharata, so I caution readers unfamiliar with the epic from taking every detail and plot point of this novel as gospel; however the overall shape of the events remains the same. Goddess of the River, like the Mahabharata, asks questions about dharma, justice, the responsibilities of the powerful, and the greater good. This story is very dear to my heart, and I hope it will find a place in yours.

Because Goodreads is a space for readers, I do not plan on coming back to this book's page once this is posted, whether to read reviews or check comments. But if you want to talk about this book, or ask questions, the best ways to reach me are Instagram or my website contact form. I always love connecting with readers!

Finally, I advise readers to read the Content Warning at the start of the novel. Goddess of the River includes content from the Mahabharata that readers may find triggering, including but not limited to killing of infants, casteism, ableism, use of the word “cripple”, attempted sexual assault, and graphic warfare. More context is provided in the Content Warning, along with the location of the content in the novel.

Thank you so much for your interest, and happy reading!

PS. I learned a hard lesson with the publication of my first book: no matter how much time I take to discuss or explain my motivation and ideas, some people will still call me a disgrace to my religion and send me threats of bodily harm. If this is you, might I make a suggestion? Pop it right under here in a comment rather than seeking me out on social media. Thanks!

[EveStar91 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Do you know how a river forms?...
I came because they prayed for me, all those years ago, and I was young and naive. I heard their prayers when I was but a tributary of the cosmic ocean, deep and endless. ... I did not know then that when humans pray for nature, they pray for something to control.

Goddess of the River is Ganga's story of her time on Earth as a river, and as a human. The premise of the book is to provide a feminist retelling of Ganga's story, her time living out a curse as she struggles with the rules and regulations set on humans and on women.

A strong pillar for this book would be the character building, of not just Ganga, but also her son Bhishma. The introspection of these characters into their own motives and follies would have been powerful if the book followed it's premise and focused on only their story. Instead, the book tries to give a synopsis of the whole Mahabharatha, and as given in the author's note, Ganga is inserted into various scenes from the original texts that she wasn't present in, and multiple people immediately stop whatever they're doing to have a chat about philosophy with her. This unfocused and broad synopsis undermined the book for me and detracted from my enjoyment of the character arcs.

Thanks to NetGalley, Redhook publishing, and the author Vaishnavi Patel for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

🌟🌟1/2
[3/4 star for the premise and the whole book; 3/4 star for the character development; Half a star for the writing; 1/4 star for the story arc; 1/4 star for the world-building - 2 1/2 star in total, rounded up to 3 stars.]

[Srivalli (Semi-Hiatus) · Rating 1 out of 5]

0.5 Stars (rounding up coz 1 star is the minimum I need to give a book)

One Liner: I knew it would be Hinduphobic but this turned out transphobic as well!

This super lengthy review contains spoilers.

I won’t bother with the summary. The book is supposed to be a retelling of Mahabharata from Ma Ganga’s POV. However, calling it a mockery of the original would be more apt.

Claim: A powerful reimagining of the story of Ganga

Reality: A whiny MC with Main Character Syndrome (Main character syndrome is the idea that, in every situation, you are the main character in the story of life and everyone else is secondary; source- WedMD)

Claim: “Goddess of the River borrows from alternate oral traditions for aspects of Shikhandi’s and Shakuni’s characters in particular.” (from end notes)

Reality: Shikandin’s trans identity and its importance in Mahabharata have not been mentioned. Maybe this can be termed transphobic, you decide (more on this in a separate section)

Before I begin, let me establish a few things:

-> I read the complete edition of Vyasa Mahabharata transcreated by Prof. Purushottama Lal (18 books with over 8000 pages), the only verse-to-verse translation found.
-> I’m rereading the translation of the BORI critical edition by Bibek Debroy ji (all ten books).
-> I use KMG’s (Kisari Mohan Ganguli ji) translation of the critical edition for reference.

In short, I know what I’m talking about.

Comparison with Kaikeyi

1. Both main characters (Kaikeyi and Ganga) start with self-victimization and end up as borderline narcissists.
2. The character arc: victimization 🡪 self-pity 🡪 self-importance 🡪 Main character syndrome 🡪 narcissism
3. Both use manipulation to achieve what they want and feel important by villainizing others.
4. Both are placed in situations they don’t belong to and take credit that should go to others (no one else is supposed to be as victimized or as important as the main characters).
5. Both books distort the original beyond recognition and eliminate crucial developments.
6. Both books have a distinctive European medieval vibe but deal with Hindu characters. While Kaikeyi glorifies a rapist (Ravana), Goddess of the River, removes all traces of gender fluidity.

Victimizing Ganga and Vasus

Gangavataranam (the arrival of Ma Ganga) is one of the most beautiful events detailed in Ramayana and Mahabharata. It is my favorite event. Each time I read or watch the scene, I end up teary-eyed.

Ma Ganga is power. Ganga is life. Ganga is a blessing. She symbolizes divine feminine. Shiva plays her counterpart, the divine masculine, the much-needed equal to balance the equation. When Ma Ganga rushes from heaven to earth, it’s like being hit by an asteroid ten times the size of the planet. That’s her power. Shiva absorbs her impact so that it doesn’t shatter the earth. He eases her arrival on the earth, that too at her demand. Ma Ganga knows her power. She knows she can destroy the planet she is supposed to nurture. Her strength is her ability to let Shiva stand in her path to prevent destruction.

Instead, we get a victimized Ganga ranting about Shiva binding her, chaining her, and whatnot. Mahabharata has many instances where feminism is necessary. This is NOT one of those. This is a celebration of power and balance; of Ganga’s power and Shiva’s balance.

I see no bhakti for Ma Ganga. Rather, she has been demeaned and insulted by making her sound pathetic. Such a shame!

Read more about Gangavataranam: https://sri-lovenature.blogspot.com/2...

The Vasus are called Godlings (cringe max pro) in the book. They are described as a blend of Celtic creatures like puca and brownies.

The Vasus are not Godlings. They are gods. They are not mischievous kids who need Ma Ganga’s protection. They control the elements. They are fully grown adults (with life partners) and immortal who live in heaven and visit earth for entertainment.

Read more about Vasus: https://sri-lovenature.blogspot.com/2...

Insulting Nature Worshippers

Hindus are nature worshippers. We don’t follow the Western Abrahamic concepts like, 'man is greater than nature' or that man should take care of nature. For us, it is the other way around. Nature is our nurturer. Nature takes care of us. She is our mother. However, this book repeatedly superimposes colonial concepts on indigenous beliefs. Over and over, they are shown as people who abuse nature.

Chapter 22: Arjuna gave a nasty laugh. “Now I understand your matted hair, your dirty clothes. You are a tribal! You should not be here.”

The Pandavas were born in an ashram at the Himalayan foothills. They lived their first ten+ years in a forest (like the tribals) until their father died. After escaping the House of Lac, they lived in a forest again. After losing the dice game, they were in exile and lived in a forest for twelve years. They literally were described with matted hair and dirty clothes. Why would Arjuna use it as an insult to Ekalavya? It makes zero sense!

Chapter 12: … Even though I did not deserve it, my child loved me. I repeated this mantra to myself as I rose to my feet”.

A goddess wouldn’t mean the word mantra by using it causally like this. A mantra is powerful and not whatever nonsense the New Age people preach everywhere. (Thanks to Kundan for highlighting this).

Forceful Insertion of European Witch Hunt

Chapter 7: “After a few too many miraculous births, the village began to gossip. They decided I was more likely than not a dayyan and cast me out.”
Chapter 9: Kavita rubbed a hand across her eyes. “I grow tired of this place. Lately I have been harassed by claims I am performing witchcraft. I am thinking of leaving here.”

Where did the witch hunt originate? It started in Europe and spread to colonies in the Americas and other countries between the 14th and 18th centuries. It is rooted in hatred for indigenous gods and beliefs.

Hindus are indigenous. Our existence cannot be separated from magic and nature. Moreover, midwives are cherished and respected in our land. A midwife with such powers would have people flocking to her house for help. My ancestors were faith healers in the 17th and 18th centuries. They were not cast out. Their skills were in demand, especially to save people from snake bites.

Removal of Trans Identity and Gender Fluidity

Long story short, Shikandin was a reincarnation of Amba, the princess who vowed to take revenge on Bhishma (Ganga’s son). Shikandin was born a FEMALE and transitioned into a male. Shikandin is one of the earliest examples of FTM (female-to-male).

In this book, the author chose an obscure ‘oral version’ to make Shikandin a male by birth. There is no mention of his trans identity or the story related to it. Shikandin before the sex change had a ‘she’ pronoun. Afterward, Shikandin was addressed only as ‘he’. Why was this erased? Is it not necessary to acknowledge trans people?

Also, Ganga didn’t make Bhishma promise not to fight Shikandin. Bhishma himself was adamant about it since he knew Shikandin as a woman before the transition and it went against his code to raise a weapon at him.

Arjuna became Brihannala, a trans woman, for a year (the thirteenth year of exile). Throughout Virata Parva, Arjuna was referred to as he, and Brihannala was addressed as she. The pronouns were specific, highlighting gender fluidity. Why is there no mention of this?

Dehumanization and Call for Genocide

Time and again, Kurus were called destroyers, savages, animals, monsters, and demons. Even the king is shown as a barbarian and heathen, the terms colonizers used to justify their savagery on us (the same template was followed in India, across Africa, the US, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and more). All the native people were dehumanized as barbarians who needed to be civilized by the colonizers.

Even today, Hindus are targeted as Satan worshippers, our temples demolished and our identities shamed. How is the book any different from those attackers?

Chapter 9: “I did not care if he might try to burn me alive and claim it an accident or poison my food and punish the cook…”
Chapter 14: Shantanu raged at my banks. He screamed and shouted, sent soldiers out to my waters, but he could do nothing to harm a river. In one inspired moment, he ordered oil to be poured into my water and set aflame...
Chapter 18: The rest of the Kurus… They are like animals.
Chapter 23: “Perhaps Yudhishthira would listen to my claim if I did so, but Arjuna and Bhima would slay me in my sleep…”
Chapter 24: Would the world be better off without the Kuru line? If my son died, he would come home to me. And the rest of them… I did not believe them worth saving, worth ruling

These are such shameful statements and characterizations of our ancestors. After demonizing the Kurus multiple times and reinforcing the idea that they are the worst people on earth, this is what the book says. How is this not different from the colonial superiority complex in that they decide who gets to live?

In Kaikeyi, Rama was called a warmonger. In Goddess of the River, Shantanu was said to be always at war. The Kurukshetra War happened when peace talks failed multiple times. Krishna himself tried his best to prevent the war.

The author has doubled down and reinforced the negative idea that Hindus were savages. What happened was the opposite of it. By making Ganga a victim of everything, she is falsely accusing others of being villains. She did the same in Kaikeyi by calling Rama a manipulator, and warmonger, and hinting that he was an abuser who hit his wife. In the same breath, she whitewashed a rapist like Ravana. An asura who raped countless women was portrayed as a gentle and intelligent king who respected women.

So what does this do?

People who have no idea about the original wonder why Hindus glorify Shiva and Rama and burn the effigy of Ravana. They are not aware that we burn the effigy of a kidnapper and a rapist. They jump to conclusions and attack us for being who we are, all because they can’t even be bothered to separate fact from fiction. The author gets away calling it her right to creative liberty while painting big targets on our backs.

Eliminating Hindu Knowledge

Our Vedas and Shastras have several guidelines for administration, law & justice, warfare, medicine & healing, livelihood, etc. We have Nyaya Shastra for law and justice, Dhanurveda for archery and weaponry, Yudh Dharma (guidelines for war), and more. Ayurveda (traditional natural medicine) is also a part of our ancient scriptures. Chanakya’s Arthashastra and Chanakya Neeti were based on these guidelines.

However, the book shows Hindus as primitive barbarians with bloodlust and power lust when they spent years of their lives studying and gaining knowledge. The Bhagavad Gita, the most important part of Mahabharata, was mentioned only in passing as if it is an inconvenient item she is forced to talk about.

Chapter 18: The foreign soldiers were at the far end of the village by now, but his friends and neighbors had not been spared. He saw his uncle slumped in the street, the top of his skull missing.

The author seemed to have gotten confused about invaders butchering Hindus. According to Yudh Dharma, one cannot attack villages. Only bandits attacked helpless people (heck even some of them followed dharma by taking care to not harm children, women, and seniors).

If soldiers violated the rules, they were punished by the generals. Ethics were important even in war. (If you want to know more about war in ancient Bharat, read the Nandis ChargeBattle of Vatapi trilogy by Arun Krishnan).

Victimized Feminism and Heartless King

Shantanu DID NOT insult Ma Ganga or take the baby. In fact, Ganga left with the child promising to reunite Shantanu with his son at the right time. For the first sixteen years, Ganga had her son with her. She decided he was old enough to be prince and let him go to his father. During those years, Ganga made sure her son was trained by two of the best rishis – Vashishta and Parasurama. (And oh, she villainized Vashistha and reduced him to a fake godman without naming him).

Is it feminism if you take away this choice someone already had and make them a helpless victim?

The Caste Narrative

Chapter 16: “… He could be the child of a latrine cleaner, cursing us all with his presence, but we bear that insult because we bow to your judgment, Raja Yudhishthira. But this—this is too much.”

While Sishupala hated Krishna and was a scum, the deliberate and malicious use of the word ‘latrine cleaner’ reinforces the harmful caste stereotype as integral to Hinduism. This is beyond vile!

Chapter 30: Why valor was the domain of only Kshatriya, and menial labor the domain of only shudra, and whether he had been wrong to believe birth mattered all along.

This is a back-projection of the caste narrative into an era when it was a guna-based hierarchy. There are many valorous Shudra kings in our history.

Other ‘Creative Liberties’ That Abused the Essence of Mahabharata

Creative liberty should never come at the cost of ruining the core of the original. Unfortunately, many events (apart from the above discussed) were distorted.

It wasn’t Karna who fell into a pool in Indraprastha. It was Duryodhana. This matters because Duryodhana was so jealous of his cousins’ wealth that he wanted to destroy them at any cost.

Karna was NOT his birth name. Karna was named Vasusena (the one born with wealth since he had armor and earrings since birth). He became Vaikartana and Karna later on. This is the bare minimum knowledge one needs to have when retelling an epic.

When Draupadi was disrobed in Kaurava sabha, Karna called her a harlot for having five husbands and said she deserved to be stripped naked. Also, Draupadi wasn’t meek. She didn’t mind knocking sense into her husbands’ minds. She loved them sure, but she was never blind to their flaws.

Karna never won a challenge/ duel with Arjuna. He was called an equal to Arjuna but was never his superior. The hate for Arjuna in this book is unreal and nauseating.

Ganga had no role in ALLOWING Shiva to give a boon to Amba. In fact, Ganga advised Amba to stop thirsting for revenge as it would destroy her. A classic example of Main Character Syndrome where Ganga in this book wants all the credit for things she didn’t even do!

Krishna’s birth and timeline are WRONG. Krishna was decades younger than Bhishma. He was in his 40s like Arjuna when Bhishma was in his 100s. It makes no sense for Krishna to be 25 years older than Bhishma and yet look like a young man (and no one bats an eyelid).

The soap opera between Bhishma and Shikandin DID NOT happen. I don’t think even Ekta Kapoor would make it that cringe. Also, Bhishma wasn’t killed by a single arrow. His body was so riddled with arrows shot by Arjuna that they created an arrow bed when he fell from the chariot. Bhishma was very particular that he wanted to be killed by Arjuna, his favorite grandson.

Ganga’s (author’s) delulu reaches the next level when she shoots from the earth and quenches Bhishma’s thirst. Wanting the spotlight for everything makes her character so immature and pathetic. Bhishma wanted pure water and asked Arjuna to do something about it. Arjuna understood and shot an arrow into the earth. Once again, Bhishma didn’t want anyone except Arjuna for this.

Karna never looked up to Bhishma or respected him. He always hated the old man for taking the Pandava side and called him a traitor openly in the Kaurava sabha many times. Also, Karna decided to put his ego over his best friend. Karna CHOSE not to fight until Bhishma either stepped down as the commander or died.

Bhishma did not kill the Gandhara princess to get Gandhari married to Dhritarashtra. Shakuni’s brothers were healthy and alive. They participated in the Kurukshetra war and got killed on the battlefield.

Arjuna did not send a beggar to take Karna’s flesh armor. Heck, the Pandavas were in exile when this happened. Arjuna’s birth father decided on this, and Karna’s birth father tried to prevent it. But then Karna was like, ‘I’d rather die than say no to a request’. Even then, Karna got a celestial weapon in return. He saved it to kill Arjuna (Krishna foiled this plan).

This is just a summary of what all is wrong in the book. My original review was three times long. Yeah, I could get a PhD just by submitting the review as a thesis.

Anyhoo, there really isn’t anything worth mentioning in this book. Ma Ganga has been reduced to a whiny and petulant teenager with an inflated sense of self-righteousness while everyone else is a villain. All that hate for Shiva is just sad.

This was a buddy read with Kundan Chhabra. Do check out his review for more insights and the definitions of the terms used.

***
A more detailed review: https://medium.com/@rekha.srivalli/go...

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up

If you enjoyed Kaikeyi, you should absolutely pick up Goddess of the River. It's a gorgeously written retelling of an Indian epic, mostly from the perspective of a minor character. Ganga is a river goddess cursed to live a mortal life and give birth to the human forms of other spirits before returning to her true form. And all of this is caught up in power struggles for the throne and threats of war. It's often tragic and a somewhat slower paced novel but I found it enthralling. With such a large cast of characters, I think it's helpful to have Ganga as a grounding character that we know so well.

Loved it and would recommend! Just note that there are some content warnings to be aware of (the author also addresses these at the start of the book) with the biggest one being that towards the start of the story, Ganga drowns several of her babies. She believes it's saving them from the pain of a human life and releasing them back into their true forms, and grieves over it, but it still might be unsettling for some readers. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, all opinions are my own.

[Books_the_Magical_Fruit · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wasn’t a quick read for me. I was engaged in the story for the first third or so, and then it got bogged down so much that my progress slowed to a crawl. Still, learning about Indian culture and beliefs was fascinating, and I loved Patel’s characterization of women, especially through the eyes of Ganga herself. There’s an interesting duty versus justice theme that really makes you think.

I think if the plot summary has indicated how much war would be the focus, I would have chosen a different book.
3.5 stars, rounded up.

Thanks to NetGalley and Redhook for the complimentary copy. My review is entirely voluntary.

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 Stars
After really enjoying the author's previous book, I was eager to read the next book they wrote. This is another standalone exploring traditional Indian myths through the lens of fantasy.

The narrative style was not entirely too my tastes, but I loved the underlying plot and themes.

Once again, this author has written a highly feminist tale filled with the struggle and oppression of strong women. The story is perhaps a bit on the nose but I was in the mood for that kind of story.

I would recommend this one to someone looking for an feminist fantasy tale that hits hard and doesn't flinch away from the darker sides of life.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

[River · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5

I do not want thrones, or riches, or renown. I want to be where I was loved.

I really enjoyed this book. The first half is very slow and meandering, encapsulating perfectly the river-like flow of the story. Like tributaries, it branches off into the minds of other characters and explores many of those that come to pray at Ganga's river. Every smaller story, every side character, is skillfully placed as everything weaves back into the main plot eventually. It's masterfully crafted and so intelligently executed. I loved the slow but inevitable build into the war we know, from the very first chapters, is coming.

Will you be king of ashes?

Ganga's journey is such an interesting one to be able to witness. She's such a fascinating character to explore as she holds such dichotomy inside of herself; she is a goddess who despises the mortal world, and yet she is a goddess who knows what it is to be human. She can't help but be affected by the mortal world, even as she spurns it.
I felt at times that Ganga's perspective as a goddess was possibly too vast, too pulled back from humanity, but I no longer think that's entirely correct. Ganga has the unique perspective, for a god, of mortality. She knows what it is to be human and to be caught up in their fears and desires and dreams, she is more entangled in humanity than she would ever care to admit. And beyond that, she gives life to humanity from her waters, she washes away pain and tends to those that she can help. Her heart is forever being changed by humanity. This, I think, provides such a spell-binding narrative to explore, such an incredible character to pull our focus.

Through Devavrata, or Bhishma, we follow the folly of mortals, the ever-lasting struggle for power. We see, in all its despair, what has become of the Kuru line and we see the mistakes every person has made at every step for it to have ended up as messy and as complicated as it now is.
I really adored how complex each and every character truly was, by the end of the book there was not a clearly noble and righteous victor, there was not the sharpness of a line drawn between good and evil. It was far more complicated than that. Characters that I hated became tangles of emotion in my mind as they became much more to me than just one evil deed. Characters that at first glance appeared to be only cannon fodder in the battles to come became fractured people woven into the fabric of the politics of the court. Characters that had for most of the book been virtuous and good, muddied themselves in the chasms of war and soiled their gilded clothing with blood. Every person was more than what they first appeared to be on the surface and I think this was what I most admired about the book.

But gods should not need to enforce that which men should plainly know.

I appreciate the insightful nature of the storytelling even more as I look back upon it. Every element is crafted and placed so intricately, everything is moulded with such craft and care. I loved seeing how characters came back to haunt the narrative, how every person had substance and importance, how every action held repercussions. What I loved most was the cyclical nature of the story; everything came back to the beginning, ended as it began, everything felt whole and one. It was all so incredibly well thought out. I can't wait to read more of Patel's works!

I promise. I will return, and I will sit on your banks once more.

Thank you Orbit for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

[inês · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Goddess of the River is a reimagining of Ganga's story, a cursed goddess of the river who became a mortal, and of her equally cursed mortal son, whose fate interweaves with her own. It is told in a way that feels like this is a story being relayed in the oral tradition with a strong voice and lush descriptions of nature.

This book is a beautiful analysis of the contradictions that live within people and human nature, in general. As Ganga seeks to dissociate with the humans, she unwittingly starts to understand how hard it is to live with competing values and external pulls even when one seeks to simply be good. I found this to be particularly impactful. Ganga's character arc evolves (just like a river) with the changes in the human world as war looms ever nearer, and her accepting her place in the world doesn't have to be passive. The author succeeded in building these gradual changes in a way that I found believable but also compelling, making me connect further to Ganda and her journey.

Ganga's human life ends in tragedy as she is separated from her son, Prince Devavrata. All she desires for her son is that he stays uncorrupted, but he is drilled with the need to fulfill his duty and strive to improve his people's lives. So, he is eternally conflicted because sometimes he will need to make choices incompatible with his mother's wishes to do well by his king and people.

If you like mythological retellings such as Circe, I believe you would also appreciate Goddess of the River as it is as lyrically rich and equally deals with the female perspective on (un)familiar myths. Personally, my knowledge of Hindu mythology is limited so I probably missed out on plenty, but I never felt out of depth throughout my reading experience.

[Akankshya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was intrigued by the premise of this book to feature River Ganga as the protagonist in a retelling of the Mahabharata. Anybody who has read the epic knows that she is featured prominently at the beginning, and then fades promptly into the background. While reading, I was a little irked at all the fantastical changes added to the story to bring her into prominence throughout - but, on reflection, this book was a good journey. A core part of Mahabharata is the complex morality of decisions and the problems that arise from them. Ganga's story was beautifully melded into the epic and tied to the characters' actions, while also exploring the divinity of the gods involved in the story.

I am always slightly uncomfortable when modern prose is added to retellings of old myths and epics, so I had to stomach some of that. Mahabharata is one of the first epics that I have read, and I will always have a soft spot for its retellings. As the retellings always do, the book ends with a discussion on dharma, righteousness, and fate. This is definitely one of those books that finishes strong.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC! Hope to read more from the author :)

[Aparna Verma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Writing a retelling of the Mahabharata is difficult enough, writing one within 400 pages even more so, but Vaishnavi navigates her retelling with grace, curiosity, and, love. There is so much love — genuine, twisted, worn, forgiving — between Ganga and Bhishma that drives the story through the morally complex questions of the Mahabharata. I absolutely loved Ganga’s evolution in the story, and the parallels drawn between the opening chapter to the final page.

5/5

[Niharika]

Thoughts Before Reading

All my life, I don't think I've ever read a so-called "Indian Mythology Retelling" that has made me think, "Oh, that did the original justice," but one keeps hoping for the best.

[Booksblabbering || Cait❣️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ganga, the goddess of the river, is made mortal and cursed to bear the seven Vasus - the godlings, be their mother, to free them back into their ethereal forms.
She catches the eye of the powerful and greedy Shantanu, raja of Hastinapur, and sets off a course of events that has far reaching consequences in the Mahabharata.

Bhishma is the final godling, the one who survived to grow up in his mortal form, yet to avoid bloodshed, took a vow and renounced the throne.

Bhishma is an extremely frustrating character and Patel captures this perfectly.
He appears noble and loyal for honouring his vows above all else, but we can see how this steadfastness ends up causing more harm and chaos. This is even more grievous when you realise he’s fighting for a side he doesn’t believe in just to uphold his promise.

So he stayed alive to fight as humanely as possible, although that was a paradox.

Patel captures motherhood beautifully just like in her debut of Kaikeyi. Especially coming from the point of view of a goddess who is initially so removed from humanity and her emotions.

”Do a person's wishes matter?" Karna asked. "Or is it their actions on which they should be judged?"

Whilst there were a lot of names and the family intricacies become quickly confusing and easily muddled up, I was mostly able to follow along. It helped that the main players in this story are identified and revisited. I don’t think this is a criticism of Patel, as this merely reflects the sprawling complexity of the Mahabharata.

I admit to preferring Kaikeyi as the prose was more thoughtful and touching. However, I must applaud Patel on rewriting the Mahabharata to focus on forgotten characters to provide a unique and compelling narrative.

Thank you to Orbit for providing an arc in exchange for a review!

Bookstagram

[Neha Jain · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐

Mythological retellings are a double edged sword to be attempted as an author. If one treads exactly close to the original, then it lacks anything new to offer. If strays away, then its factually incorrect. In such a scenario I do want to give credit to Vaishnavi for the attempt and somehow managing to navigate this sword while taking the creative liberties.
👌 Her style of storytelling since Kaikeyi is to bring in forefront the Grey shade of the titular (easy term, 'Hero') character. This is a seriously difficult territory considering these Heroes are religious figures and highly revered. My 2 stars in the rating are for this conscious choice and talking about the elephant in the room. She puts into questions the choices made by these heroes in name of honour and justice but impacting righteousness in the path.

Goddess of the River is a Mahabharata retelling which was not at all clear from the blurb. Honouring the creative choice, I will keep the details about the original as vague as possible. 👎 Its though evident from the very first page with the family tree. It did leave me feeling a bit cheated, as I was expecting to read about an unique take on Goddess Ganga, but its focus is another storyline and in author's own words, 'placed Ganga in critical moments where she is not present in the original.' In short, its not her story, she is a POV character who is witnessing other's story. Its a 400 pages condensed version of a 1.8 million word epic story, commendable effort but way too fast to give any plot enough time. I would prefer immersing myself in Panchatantra.

There is a content warning in the start of the book about infanticide, casteism and ableism. Its a good practice but I wonder if it was intentionally added due to the negative feedback during Kaikeyi.

Verdict : Skip it, there are better retellings of the same mythological story.

[Read By Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had a very strong narrative voice that I enjoyed, and reminded me of Circe. The first half was pretty interesting as Ganga got used to being human and was in danger more. The second half ends up being a lot of half baked politics and political machinations between gods that I think the author was less skilled at. Really good last few pages though, and I'm glad to have learned about this tale that I knew nothing about.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

"But did his intentions matter, when they did not stop calamity?"

Goddess of the River is like nothing I have ever read before. The writing is masterful in how it truly mimics the characteristics of a river, meandering through time and between lives of the people it feeds. It ebbs in and out of the stories of a bevy of secondary characters. And though it is the story of a river, but it is also the story of the sacrifices and devotion of motherhood.

It explores the folly and consequence of remaining immovable in your vows, of not standing up for what is correct and moral in your inflexibility. It explores whether an act with selfless intentions may be rendered selfish by consequence.

I know very little of the originating text, but trusted Patel enough to allow her prose to sweep me away on this journey. This is a story full of trauma and heartache and violence. But it is also the story of people doing what they think is best, no matter how hard that decision may be.

If you like your mythological fantasy to lean more into the philosophical, the epic, and the morally grey, I think that you will love The Goddess of the River as much as I did.

Thank you so much, ORBIT, for sending me a copy!!

[Haylee (haylee.reads) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am genuinely so upset with how much this book disappointed me. Kaikeyi was one of my favorite books last year and an easy five star read. Goddess of the River did not give me the same feeling Kaikeyi did. The prose in this book was very lush and that was probably my favorite thing about it. While it is clear that Patel shines when it comes to writing, the pacing and length of this did not work for me. The first third was beautiful and I couldn’t put it down; everything after that was a slog to get through. So many characters were introduced after 40% that I couldn’t keep track of who was who. This was one of my most anticipated reads this year and I am SO upset that it just didn’t work for me. I found myself speed reading through the last 40% because I just wanted to be done.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[leo ♡ (ia-ish) · Rating 2 out of 5]

{2} ★★ 𓆩♡𓆪
.・゜-: ✧ :-.・゜-: ✧ :-.・゜-: ✧ :-

i feel like it would have benefitted from a clearer plot, especially since it's based on an epic. i also didn't like the pacing and the time skipping etc was very jarring.

: ̗̀➛ the writing was gorgeous, sure, but felt detached and i oftentimes did not feel motivated to pick this up at all.

: ̗̀➛ and im not sure the intentions of the author, but the book was like centred around men and despite efforts to make it more sympathetic towards women (which it DID do, woohoo!) i got totally sick of reading about men with underdeveloped personalities.

rip my expectations 😓💔💔💔💔

[nush ❀ · Rating 2 out of 5]

— 2.5 ⚝

while i appreciate what vaishnavi patel was trying to do with this story, i have way too many qualms with it to rate it any higher. no one is more upset by this rating than me.

• first off, this might genuinely just be a me thing considering everyone else seems to love her writing but something about it just doesn't work as well for me. yes, her stories are immensely compelling but the writing itself just doesn't flow for me. that came accross in Goddess of the River way more than in Kaikeyi. it felt very detached and a little too showy for my taste. i wouldn't go so far as to call it purple prose and while i know many people might appreciate that, it just prevented me from being able to connect to the characters. i also saw a LOT of telling rather than showing which again, takes me away from the characters and makes me unable to root for them in any way because of how disconnected i feel to the story. kaikeyi read a little differently for me & i did really enjoy that book which is why this was one of my most anticipated releases of the year. which is why im so sad that I didn't enjoy this.

• secondly: this comes purely from being familiar with the epic so i won't dive too much into it because this is a retelling and it wouldn't be fair to criticize the creative liberties that the author has taken but some of the characters' portrayals don't totally work for me as was the case in Kaikeyi as well. i don't want to give any spoilers for those who are not familiar with the epic so i will keep this as vague as possible but certain things at the end of the war regarding bhishma were not accurate at all which is fine but something that was really crucial to his character was just never mentioned at all which is very strange because not only is it a significant fact but bhishma is literally a main character in this book and the fact that it wasn't even mentioned was very off-putting especially because it would have contributed greatly to the depth of his characterization. and while i applaud the author for trying to tell a 1.8 million word epic in 400 pages, a lot of the complexity of the story itself felt very diluted.

• lastly, it just felt way too ambitious to re-tell this huge epic but keep the focus on two characters not because it cannot be done, i just didn't feel like it was executed well. ganga didn't feel as important in the latter half of the story for me inspite of her being the literal main character in this book. the way it was plotted and paced seemed a bit off and was very confusing for me, someone who is familiar with the epic, so i suspect it might be even more confusing for people who are not. there are just too many plotlines and characters to keep track of in the latter half and combined with the confusing way the past present timelines were written, it made it very hard to follow along.

the only reason i gave this a 2.5 ⚝ is because i really appreciate the way the author writes dialogue. they feel very meaningful. it is so interesting to witness these characters conversing because of the way the dialogue is written. i am glued to my seat and the pages because im so riveted by the exchanges. (however if i never see the word besides again, it'll be too soon). while i didn't enjoy this book as much as i expected, i definitely recommend reading this because i know that a lot of people will love and appreciate the depth, characters and themes this book has to offer. and as a lot of other reviewers have said, her prose seems to be widely loved.

a big thank you to Redhook books and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book. all thoughts are my own and not influenced in any way.

[ᖰhiᖱeɭia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn't help but appreciate the author's ambitious attempt to encapsulate the vast and intricate Mahabharata within the confines of a few pages. The Mahabharata, a cornerstone of Indian mythology and literature, is a sprawling epic that delves into themes of duty, righteousness, and cosmic order, making any attempt to retell it a daunting task.

Her retelling served as a quick yet immersive revisit to the beloved characters and complex narratives of the Mahabharata. As I flipped through the pages, I found myself revisiting a world teeming with divine interventions, familial conflicts, and moral dilemmas, all expertly woven into the fabric of this timeless epic. Mind you, it was more of my imagination more than anything.

The fluidity of Patel's writing style, while commendable for its descriptive quality, occasionally bordered on wordiness, which was overwhelming to me as I was seeking a more streamlined narrative. I couldn't get into it really. However, this descriptive flair also added depth to the emotional complexities of the Mahabharata's characters, especially Ganga and Bhishma, allowing for sort of a detailed exploration of their moral struggles and ethical dilemmas. While I kind of enjoyed this, this book was undermined by the forceful interventions of Ganga and her interactions with the other significant characters in the narrative, making it borderline disruptive and sabotage of the original epic.

Thoughts while reading:
*Mahabharata only from the perspectives of "just" 2 characters?!?
*I understand different perspectives & narratives to this story, but sometimes there are things that needed to be painted in the right light. It's a bit strange sometimes but there are scenes that have been done well.
*I hardly think anyone without a prior background in knowing these stories, would be able to keep up with the random introductions of characters, and stories.

One of the most captivating aspects of the Mahabharata is its portrayal of dharma, the concept of righteousness and duty, which forms the moral backbone of the epic. She deftly navigated these intricate themes, shedding light on the characters' conflicting loyalties and the profound ethical quandaries they faced, thereby adding layers of depth to their personalities and motivations.

Despite the book's strengths, my ability to get immersed in the retelling was occasionally disrupted by the prevalence of factual inaccuracies. These discrepancies, scattered throughout the narrative, detracted from the authenticity of the retelling, making it challenging to fully engage with the author's alternative interpretations of the Mahabharata's timeless tales.

Thoughts while reading:...continued
*Wait... didn't Duryodhana fall in the pond due to the palace illusions in Indraprastha? Not Karna. 😞
*"Feminist" !?!!? Excuse me, but Gandhari doesn't really side with or intervene on behalf of Draupadi, she just pleads with her to not curse the Kauravas. And, Draupadi wasn't as meek as in this book, she was literally a force here. 😭
*Bhishma knocked out only due to one arrow? What happened to the arrow bed!?!!!?

In conclusion, "Goddess of the River" definitely stands out as a valiant attempt to distill the essence of the Mahabharata into a concise narrative, offering a glimpse into the profound themes and intricate narratives that define this epic. While the book provides a gateway for readers already familiar with the Mahabharata, the presence of factual errors underscores the importance of meticulous research and attention to detail when retelling such revered literary works. In other words, very bluntly, I must say, I'm being extremely generous with this rating. So, thank you.

TL;DR
⭐For the ambition & effort to retell the Mahabharata in a short amount of pages
⭐For refreshing my memories & reconnecting with the characters and this epic saga of the Mahabharata once again
❌For the writing style was kind of(?) smooth, but maybe way too descriptive. It's not totally a bad thing. It was more of twisted version, which I didn't like, but I relented.
💫For striking sort of a right balance in emotions of the various characters
❌Shitty character representation
❌ Factual inaccuracies are a bit abundant in this one, which was sadly not ignorable.. Otherwise, the alternative POVs was interesting way to cover the epic here.

Update:
I wasn't aware about the Vasus (or I couldn't recall) but man, they're represented so badly in this one. Ew, cringe.

ꉣꋪꍟ-ꋪꍟꍏꀸ:
I feel like reading something out of the Indian mythology. Sudha Murthy being my go-to choice till now, I'm kinda stepping out of my usual comfort zone and I really hope this one actually does it right and fair by the tales and shlokas I've listened to since childhood.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Redhook Books for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Book description- powerful reimagining of the story of Ganga, goddess of the river, and her doomed mortal son

This book was unlike anything I've read this year. That alone guarantees it a place in my December wrap-up. I am unfamiliar with the original story( Mahabharata), so I cannot criticize what the author may or may not have revised, omitted, or kept the same. Although it took me a few chapters before I was comfortable enough with the abundance of characters and the rhythm of the story, I grew to love this story immensely. Ganga, as the main female protagonist, was a compelling voice in the story. Her chapters were my favourite.

That cover is a 10/10! Magnificent artwork.

One last note before I end this review. Please pay attention to the trigger warnings appearing at the novel's beginning before deciding to read.


Expected Publication Date 21/05/24
Goodreads Review 23/04/24

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another hit by Vaishnavi Patel, bringing her own, feminist spin on Hindu mythos to us. Giving this one a 4.5 out of 5. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

In the same vein as her first novel, Goddess of the River gives its female characters new life by empowering them to take agency of their own stories and actions. You watch the Ganga grow from your stereotypical scorned, bitter women to a very complex, worldly goddess that sees the shades of grey in the mortal world. This story is also told from the perspective of her son, and how, like a river, they drift apart and come back together over the course of the son's lifetime.

The only reason this did not get a 5 out of 5 stars was because you jump backward and forward in the story's timeline from chapter to chapter (especially in the middle of the novel), and this meant I kept flipping back to the chapter start and previous chapters to fill in gaps. However, by the time I got to the end of the story, I recognized why the story was told this was, as certain plot points and character reveals were kept mysterious.

Overall a really interesting reach with rich descriptions.

[Patrycja · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 star

If you’d enjoyed Kaikeyi, you’d probably also enjoy this one. It was much shorter, but that was a good thing after all as it was not that long-winded.

However the topics mentioned in the book did not resonate with me in the same way as Kaikeyi did.

Overall it was a satisfying journey. I really enjoy exploring indian culture and heritage through Vaishnavi Patel’s eyes.

[Amanda at Bookish Brews]

vaishnavi patel has this indescribable way of writing myths as both so very human and so much larger than life all at the same time, i can't wait to read this one

[Jessica]

Gorgeous retelling of the story of the River Gunga from the Mahabarata. The writing is very stylish and I loved listening to the audiobook so I got the correct pronunciation of the names.

*I will not be rating any books read for the World Fantasy Award.*

[Leia Sedai · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished Vaishnavi Patel's second book, Goddess of the River, and I have mixed feelings about it. Her writing is still beautiful and poetic, but I didn't enjoy it as much as her first book.

The way the story is structured, with all the flashbacks and reveals in Parts II and III, made it hard for me to feel sympathy for the main characters in those sections. I didn't like that the point of view kept changing. It was hard to root for any of the characters except Ganga, and I think the book would have been stronger if it had stayed with her perspective as a mother throughout.

Even though I had some issues with the book, I'm still looking forward to Patel's third book. Her writing is so good that I can't help but be excited to see what she does next.




****Thank you Netgalley and Redhook Books for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. ****

[aurora *ੈ✩‧₊˚]

I NEED THIS NOW YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND AIUSDFGAOSIUDKFGA8IUSFGJASDIFYHAYFIUASDFGsldifgafyaoudf

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

i may need to stop reading books by people who went to yale

[Lilisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a retelling of the story of goddess Ganga and her son from the Indian epic - the Mahabharata. Ganga (the Ganges River), the river goddess is cursed and becomes a mortal until such time when she is released from her curse. She marries King Shantanu of Hastanipura and Devavrata (Bhishma) is their son, who takes an oath which unwittingly leads to the inevitable civil war between the Kauravas and Pandavas. This was an interesting, and at times, difficult to follow because of the number of characters and the timelines. If I wasn’t a bit familiar with the story of the Mahabharata, I think I would have been quite lost! I liked the portrayal of the relationship between Ganga and her son. I thought the author did a nice job of presenting Bhimsa’s anguish and his conflicted mindset - keep his oath and know that he would be on the losing side of righteousness or break his oath and follow the path of righteousness. I enjoyed the author’s first book Kaikeyi a tad better. I like that with her books the author is bringing stories from the Indian epics - Ramayana and Mahabharata - to readers around the world. Overall I gave this book a 3.5 rating rounded up to 4. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Penelope · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not sure I have ever been as excited to see an ARC arrive as I was when “Goddess of the River” made it to my door. I adored Patel’s first book “Kaikeyi” and was thrilled to see the same devotion to character and storytelling in this follow-up.

There is something magical in how Patel writes — a dreamlike quality of language that perfectly marries the mythical stories she is re-shaping.

[ash · Rating 3 out of 5]

impressed yet again with Vaishnavi Patel!

i sometimes stay away from novels that depict deities and gods because authors can rarely capture the vastness and entirety of their beings but Patel has obviously put much thought and skill in writing Ganga. Patel deserves praise for this reimagining of Mahabharata and her interpretation and depiction of Ganga's relationship with her son Bhishma. their characters were pretty solid and the worldbuilding was great. i may have been confused with the many characters at first but i trusted the author to offer me the necessary information in due time, which Patel did. i am not familiar with the original myth but i still enjoyed the story and felt that the narrative and themes were cohesive. i liked the themes on duty, justice, and responsibility and how the characters embody these. the plot can be a bit hard to follow at some point because it jumped several years back and forth but i got used to it eventually and even thought that the parallels drawn between past and present were clever and offered insight into the characters and the world they inhabit. the writing was truly remarkable because this story would not have worked with any other style.

so how faithful it is to the original, i cannot say, but i can say that this is a well-written novel. i'd recommend this to people who enjoy myth retellings and atmospheric novels. i look forward to Patel's future work!